The Myth of Creation [Afsaneh-ye Afarinesh] is one of the earliest works by Iran’s best-known twentieth-century writer, Sadeq Hedayat, whose popularity outside Iran is due mostly to his short novel, The Blind Owl. Readers familiar only with The Blind Owl, which has often been described as an enigmatic, gloomy story, may find a work such as The Myth of Creation uncharacteristic. In fact, this work belongs to another, significant category of Hedayat’s writing, mostly comprised of social and religious satire. Given the general plot line of this story, Hedayat demonstrates an open skepticism towards the three major Middle Eastern religions, particularly Islam, by satirizing various ritual practices, beliefs, and superstitions, which he regards as the roots of many problems in the region, both historically and in the contemporary societies.